Open Letter about Trans Media Portrayal signed by lots

[CrazyToast]

This open letter (text is below, not linking to Pink News), tweeted by Sarah Champion MP and put out by Helen Belcher has got me despairing.

The total lies in this letter boggle my mind! How can legitimate professionals put their names to this without researching?

"This coverage has often conflated trans women and girls with sex offenders, implied that all trans women and girls are threats, and has usually been insufficiently challenged."

Don't they understand that no one things ALL trans people are threats? Just that male bodied people are potential threats and that we DONT KNOW who is dangerous and who isnt so we have to treat everyone with caution? Don't they understand that all women operate like this, it is anticipation of risk? Is this just wilful misinterpretation?

"The reality is that trans people are far more likely to be targets of violence than other women."

We all know this is false. Handful of trans women killed in UK in a decade vs two women a week.

The letter in full

We strongly condemn the way the British media has given significant coverage to small groups who wish to push organisations to break existing law with regards to trans people. The Equality Act protects trans people from discrimination and automatic exclusion from same sex spaces, yet over recent days, weeks and months, the media has given significant space to activists who wish to roll back trans people’s existing rights.

This coverage has often conflated trans women and girls with sex offenders, implied that all trans women and girls are threats, and has usually been insufficiently challenged. The reality is that trans people are far more likely to be targets of violence than other women. Isolated extreme and abhorrent cases cannot be extrapolated to infer the behaviour of all trans people. Those countries where gender recognition is operated on an administrative rather than a quasi-judicial process also do not provide any evidence to support the assertion that trans people are a threat or misuse the process to cause harm to others.

The relentlessness of the hostility across the media and the media’s inability to adequately challenge the false claims put forward have led to a significant decline in the mental health of many trans people. Reports of suicides of trans people are on the increase. Free speech does not give free reign to cause people harm.

We call on the British media to revise the way they cover trans stories, to look at the reality faced by trans people rather than focus on extreme theories which have no basis in fact, and to apologise for the significant emotional and mental stress they have caused to trans people over the past year.

Helen Belcher – Chair, LGBT Consortium
Baroness Barker
Dr MJ Barker
Michelle Brewer – Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
Baroness Brinton – President of the Liberal Democrats
Christine Burns MBE
Baroness Burt of Solihull – Women’s Spokesperson, Liberal Democrats
Lord Carlile of Berriew
Lord Cashman
Prof Brian Cathcart – School of Journalism, Kingston University
Dr Louise Chambers – Lecturer, Goldsmiths College, University of London
Sarah Champion MP – former Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities
Dominic Davies – Pink Therapy UK
Martha Dunkley – ClinicQ
Jane Fae
Fox and Owl Fisher – filmmakers, My Genderation
Kate Green MP – former Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
Susie Green – CEO, Mermaids UK
Dr Adrian Harrop
Prof Sally Hines – School of Sociology, Leeds University
Jennie Kermode – Chair, Trans Media Watch
Fiyaz Mughal – TellMama
Claire McCann – Barrister, Cloisters Chambers
Monty Moncrieff MBE – CEO, London Friend
Layla Moran MP
Prof Surya Munro – School of Human and Health Sciences, Huddersfield University
Nik Noone – CEO, Galop
Lord Paddick
Prof Julian Petley – Professor of Journalism, Brunel University
Tris Reid-Smith – Owner, Gay Star News
Linda Riley – Publisher, DIVA Magazine
Paul Roberts OBE – CEO, LGBT Consortium
Cat Smith MP – Shadow Secretary of State for Young People
Dame Caroline Spelman MP
Jay Stewart MBE – CEO, Gendered Intelligence
Jo Swinson MP – Deputy Leader, Liberal Democrats
Dr Damian Tambini FRSA – London School of Economics
Peter Tatchell
Dr Ben Vincent – Chair, GIRES
Dr Paul Wragg – School of Law, Leeds University
Dr Tray Yeadon-Lee – School of Human and Health Sciences, Huddersfield University

Also Jane Fae - thinks women who were murdered during domestic violence must have had 'eggshell skulls.'

Mr Whittle isn't there.

Excellent list of missing names, Joan. Another that could have been added but is mysteriously absent is Sue Pascoe 'of Soaring Spirit Ltd', a company formed....er, just a few short weeks before their appointment as adviser on Inclusion at Channel 4.

Says Sue roguishly: I’m 55, I am very hormonal, I am going through puberty again which means that I am just getting to my teenage girl years – so watch out world.

I don't see why anyone has made a fuss about this. The Equality Act (2010) protects single-sex spaces and the proposed GRA reform has no impact on this. There's been no problems with this status quo in the last fourteen years and no reason to think anything will change in the future. The GRA reform is just to bring our administrative processes in line with practice that has worked well in other countries - such as Ireland - and reduce the burden of cost on the public purse. And I for one would find it a bit of a surprise if trans men were suddenly made to use women's loos and changing rooms, on the grounds that they were really women!

Yes we're just stupid women Halka, making a fuss about nothing. We'll get back to our knitting now, thanks for helping us out.

Harrop has abused transexuals on twitter (eg Fionne Orlander). He is no friend to them. He just hates women.

Did they not ask Jess Bradley to sign?? If not, why not?

The word is LOOPHOLE.

I didn't notice the lack of Whittle. Interesting.
Also no Sophie Cook or Roz Kaveney.

This list must have been put together really really hastily. I think they must be worried :(

I'm not familiar with Sue Pascoe, I will have to look them up.

Fabulous letter, Knicknack. Where do I sign?

"The Equality Act protects trans people from discrimination and automatic exclusion from same sex spaces"

Is that even true?

I don’t think it is. In fact in the comsultation I’m sure the notes stated that trans people could be excluded from single sex spaces.

Knickknack
Your letter is so much better 💪💪
It’s just usual suspects yawn

Joan I get the impression SW likes to lead from behind the lines.

The academics who signed the Guardian letter risked their careers and their reputations. It was a really brave thing to do.

What have this shower risked? Everyone knows where they stand - half of them have made a career out of it. They didn’t even try and go for a mainstream newspaper (or maybe they did and no-one was interested). The only people who are going to see it are their aunties and uncles and Jeremy Corbyn.

More about Sue Pascoe here, Joan. Quite an...interesting read

Actually that letter Knick wrote sums everything up perfectly

Saddens but doesn't surprise me to see Layla Moran there. She is best buds with sarah brown and has not answered any of my specific questions, or responded to my requests for her to meet FPFW.

Julian Petley gave evidence to that extreme porn enquiry after the murder of Jane Longhurst. As did Jane Fae.

Thank you Zeugma.

"The Equality Act protects trans people from discrimination and automatic exclusion from same sex spaces"

the key word is 'automatic'. Trans people can be excluded from single sex spaces but the operator of the single sex space should have to prove that providing a single sex space is for a legitimate and proportionate aim.

I've said in my response to the consultation that if an organisation is single sex, we normally assume that the aim is legitimate and proportionate, and it should be for the person of the opposite sex to prove that their access won't harm the users of the single sex service.

I'm glad I sent my 'assigned at birth' letter in a proper envelope and a stamp etc. I've had more than one MP who simply ignores emails (to be fair, they must get hundreds of thousands) but it's a little bit more difficult to ignore actual paper.

Beastly.

A few PPs seem surprised and disappointed by Jo Swinson's support.

I'm a long-time lurker on LimDemVoice, which describes itself as 'The most-read independent website by and for LibDem supporters' - though you wouldn't think so from the paucity of comments on most of the articles on there. It occasionally has articles on Self-ID, the GRA and other trans topics, and I can assure you that every single such article, and the vast majority of what comments there are, are very woke.

The LibDems seem utterly wedded to the trans lobby.

Its a useful letter.

It demonstrates clearly who's who.

There's some interesting stuff in Private Eye about Dawn Butler and Linda Riley – Publisher, DIVA Magazine

Michelle Brewer and Claire McCann (see UKTELI with Jess Bradley and Tara Hewitt) & discussed on the following thread:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3325882-WEP-conference-questions-for-panel-of-trans-rights-advocating-barristers

Dr MJ Barker

Meg-John Barker BACP Guide (with the northern women stereotype etc), partner is Edward Lord:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3339137-BACP-Gender-Sexual-and-Relationship-Diversity-by-Dr-Meg-John-Barker

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3391898-The-GRA-and-safety-of-women-only-spaces-video-by-Meg-John-Barker-and-Nina-Burrowes-Dr-Nina-Be

see also link to Bish (school / young people's guidance)
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3357713-BISH-proudly-supported-by

Adding my name to the list of those disappointed by Jo Swinson. Is she not very bright?